FUNDAMENTALS OF HIGH POLYGONAL
MODELING FOR GAMES - WORKBOOK
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INTRODUCTION
This workbook is the accompanying 'test' to your high-poly modeling lectures and the 'Fundamentals of High
Polygonal Modeling for Games Environments' document that you have been given.
The workbook is split into 3 sections:
1. High-Poly Modeling Theory
2. Applications of High-Poly Modeling
3. High-Poly Asset Production
Each of these sections will test your knowledge of high-poly modeling, you ability to recognise good practice
and the theories surrounding the process, as well as creating your own designs and high-resolution meshes.
Please see below for specific details of each section and it's requirements:
COMPLETING THE WORKBOOK
You will be required to complete this workbook and answer all of the questions/sections.

Read the instructions for each question carefully, and answer in the appropriate format. Some
questions may require longer answers than others, or drawing over the top of some of the pictures to
illustrate your understanding.

Please use the boxes provided next to or underneath each question to answer them, and use the
default word lines in a blue colour to outline when editing pictures.

Some questions in section 3 require you to include your own images, so please save off your images
and insert them in the spaces provided in the handbook.
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SECTION 1 - HIGH-POLY MODELING THEORY
This section will test your knowledge of high-polygonal modeling theory and your ability to explain its purpose
for use in modern games.
Please read the questions carefully and answer to the best of your ability.
HIGH-POLY MODELING AND NORMAL MAPS
1. Give a brief definition of high-poly modeling. What is its purpose and how is it used within modern games?
High-poly modeling is creating intricate detailing through the process of simultaneously increasing
edges within a mesh which is known as subdivision, & the manipulation of edge-loops to refine the
areas of detail. We do this so that we can take high-resolution meshes with areas of great detail that
simply wouldn’t work in a game engine, & ‘bake’ the details onto a low-resolution mesh using texture
maps
2. Briefly explain the purpose of normal maps, and their use in modern games.
Normal maps are essentially ‘height’ maps, indicating through gradients of colours the values of height
of a surface as seen when light reflects from it so in modern games they are used to give the impression
of complexity and detailing through projection of lighting where there is no geometrically no detail in
the mesh.
3. What is the term used to describe the process of adding significant amounts of edges to a mesh
simultaneously?
Subdivision
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4. What name is given to a succession of edges that are found the whole way through a group of faces?
Edge-loops
5. Name 2 different methods in which a mesh may be subdivided for high-polygonal modeling.
1. TurboSmooth Modifier
2. NURM subdivision
-End of Section 1-
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SECTION 2 - APPLICATIONS OF HIGH-POLY MODELING
In this section, you will required to identify good practices of high-polygonal modeling, good features of highpoly models and how necessary high-polygonal construction is depending on the low-resolution asset.
Please read each question carefully and complete in the appropriate format.
HIGH-RESOLUTION MESH USE
1. Upon studying the game-ready meshes below, which of these would have likely seen benefits from a highresolution mesh prior to being textured and completed? Tick the yes or no box, and briefly describe your
decision in the box provided.
a.) Chair - Skyrim
Yes
No
You can see that there are a lot of edges being used
which would be wasted so it’s clear they have baked the
detail on the put a texture over it
b.) Barrel - Far Cry 3
Yes
No
You can see that there isn’t to much details used & all
that has happened is that they have put just a texture
on because after its blow up a lot of it is gone so the
time modeling it would have been wasted
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c.) Door - Quake 4
Yes
No
The door has been clearly baked because there is a
lot of detail in it because it a door that players would
mainly use for a brief second so the detail isn’t
wasted
d.) Treasure Chest - Skyrim
Yes
No
Nothing really stands out on the chest so it hasn’t
been baked because a played would see it &
wouldn’t question it so it doesn’t need to have much
detail
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EDGE RETENTION AND DEFORMATION
2. Study the examples of simple common meshes below. Do the supporting edge loops (highlighted in blue)
allow suitable subdivision whilst retaining their original silhouette? Place a tick in either the yes or no box next
to the mesh, and briefly explain your answer.
a.) Plane
Yes
No
The edges don’t support the actual shape so it
wouldn’t form very well in a game
b.) Cube
Yes
No
Not all of the edges of the shape are being
supported so this wouldn’t work if you
turbosmoothed it
c.) Cylinder
Yes
No
The edges are supported so this won’t come out
strangely when you turbosmooth it
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EDGE MANAGEMENT
3. On the various low-resolution base meshes below, draw (using the line shape) where you believe to be the
best places for supporting edges in order for the meshes to keep their original silhouette and hard edges after
subdivision.
a.) 'Step' Style Mesh
Explain the reasons for your drawing below...
Because all of the edges are being supported so it would be able to be turbo smoothed
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b.) Barrel Style Mesh
Explain the reasons for your drawing below...
The edges of the shape are supported so that the shape can be edited & changed and wont have any
unwanted deformed sections
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c.) Box Style Mesh
Explain the reasons for your drawing below...
Because it allows it edges to be smoothed without any sections of the shape being deformed
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SILHOUETTE
4. Carefully managing a mesh's silhouette is vital in performing a successful normal map bake. Study the
examples below, do they show good use of silhouette management whilst retaining detail? Tick either the yes
or no boxes, and explain your answer clearly in the boxes provided.
a.) Mesh 1
Yes
No
Yes because it allows the detail that has been done to be
baked on to a tiles the same size
b.) Mesh 2
Yes
No
Yes because it allows the detail that has been done to be
baked on to a tiles the same size
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c.) Mesh 3
Yes
No
The amount of detail put in will result in it not being baked
properly
d.) Mesh 4
Yes
No
The amount of detail put in will result in it not being baked
properly
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e.) Mesh 5
Yes
No
The detail here can be baked to save the amount of polys that would have
been used
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f. ) Mesh 6
Yes
No
The detail here can be baked to save the amount of polys that would have been
used
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GEOMETRY FOR SUBDIVISION
5. Below are examples of geometry that are commonly found in asset design. Tick the boxes of the meshes
you think would be suitable for subdivision as they are, and explain why. Explain why the remaining meshes
would not be suitable for subdivision.
a.) Plane 1
Yes
No
Yes because the wireframe is correct
b.) Box 1
Yes
No
The wireframe doesn’t line up where it should
so its wrong
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c.) Box 2
Yes
No
Yes because the wireframe is correct
d.) Plane 2
Yes
No
The wireframe doesn’t line up where it should
so it’s wrong
-End of Section 2-
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SECTION 3 - HIGH-POLY ASSET PRODUCTION
This section will test your knowledge of the processes of high-resolution asset production. Here you will place
designs, low/high-resolution images of your meshes, and finally your resulting normal map bakes.
EFFECTIVE DESIGN
1. Below, place both of your designs in the provided image boxes, and use the box to describe your mini
rationale for the design. (Click in the box and insert image to get the images to fit correctly).
Design 1
Asset Rationale: This design is a floor panel design which will be baked to a plain to
shorten the amount of panel used.
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Design 2
Asset Rationale: This design is a floor panel design which will be baked to a plain to
shorten the amount of panel used.
2. Which is your final design, and why?
Design 2 because it’s got more detail that can be baked to a normal map
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LOW/HIGH RESOLUTION MESH CREATION
3. Below, place screenshots of both your low-resolution mesh and your high-resolution mesh in the same view
format so they can be compared. (Click in the box and insert image to get the images to fit correctly).
Perspective View
Low
High
Front/Top/Side View
Low
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High
NORMAL MAP CREATION
4. Below, show the final normal map bake from your high-resolution mesh. How did the result turn out? Did
you encounter any problems? If so, how did you overcome them?
Normal Map
Comments
-End of Section 3-
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